Today's News
11 March 2010
More than two extinct species a year in England, report reveals:
More than two animals and plants a year are becoming extinct in England and hundreds more are severely threatened, a report published by Natural England today reveals…The high rate at which species are being lost is set to continue. Almost 1,000 other species face "severe" threats from the same problems that drove their relatives extinct – hunting, pollution, development, poor land management, invasive species and, more recently, climate change – says the report, ‘Lost life: England's lost and threatened species’.
The Guardian (11 March, p.11)
Daily Mail (11 March, p.13)
The Times (11 March, p.17)
Farmers could pay levy on saved seed
Farmers could be forced to pay royalties on farm saved seed under new EU proposals, the Soil Association has warned. The organic lobby wrote to Defra Secretary Hilary Benn on February 22 urging him to oppose the proposals which it said would have particular impact on small-scale farmers. Peter Melchett, Soil Association policy director, said there was a growing practice among conventional and organic farmers to use and re-sow seed. He said the proposal to pay seed royalties would add a financial and regulatory burden on small farmers already struggling to survive.
Farmers Guardian (11 March)
Food industry wins battle over warning labels on 'junk' meals
A public watchdog backed down yesterday in its long-running battle to force Britain's £72bn food industry to adopt colour-coded warning labels, to the disappointment of campaigners who believe they would turn people off junk food. The feature includes hard hitting statistics about the eating habits of the nation, for example meeting nutritional guidelines for all 60 million inhabitants would save 70,000 people from dying prematurely every year.
The Independent (11 March, pp.20-21)
Why get in a stew over choice?
At Petchey Academy in Hackney, a Food for Life Partnership* school, pupils don’t get a choice when it comes to school dinners. Every pupil gets a freshly prepared meal every day. Packed lunchers are banned and unlike at many secondary schools, no one is allowed off the premises at lunchtime. Pupils also sit in ‘family groups’, which mirror traditional family dining tables. Principal David Daniels says: “Overall, we provide a social as well as an academic education. There is more to education than exam results.”
The Independent Education (11 March, p.3)
Farming Today
More government money is promised for Cumbrian farmers who were flooded last year. Farming Today reports how the harsh winter weather has hit the Scottish Forestry Industry, and Charlotte Smith visits a dairy farm to discover if farming is becoming more intensive.
BBC Radio 4 (listen again)
And finally…100 dead starlings ‘fell out of the sky’
The Express reports that ‘a terrified woman was caught in a scene straight from the horror film classic The Birds after a flock of dead starlings fell from the sky like rain’. Julie Knight said: “My only thoughts are that the birds…had been eating crops sprayed with weedkiller and were poisoned.” But the Independent reports that ‘there is no evidence that the birds had been poisoned or were ill before they crashed into the ground.’
The Daily Express (11 March, p.27)
The Independent (11 March, p.23)
Quote of the day
“This report is not all doom and gloom, but we’re losing species at an alarming rate and many of our species are seriously threatened. These species could be the the tip of the iceberg unless we take action.”
Tom Tew, chief scientist at Natural England – The Guardian – 11 March 2010
*The Food for Life Partnership is a network of schools and communities across England committed to transforming food culture. Together we are revolutionising schools meals, reconnecting young people with farms and inspiring families to cook and grow food.
The initiative is funded by the Big Lottery Fund and led by the Soil Association, bringing together the practical expertise of the Focus on Food Campaign, Garden Organic and the Health Education Trust.